460 THE AMERICAN AL.PlNE JOURNAL

August 23 Cormack and I climbed a peak of 17,800 feet on the ridge immediately south of the pass. On the following day we were all reunited at Base Camp and promptly stormbound for a week. Metcalfe, Peck and I then recrossed the frontier ridge and on September 3 from the old camp climbed a peak of 17,300 feet on the ridge to the north of the pass. TWO days later Metcalfe and I climbed Kakhari ( 19,262 feet), still farther north, from the 17,000-foot co1 mentioned previously. Generally we enjoyed good weather but firm snow was rare and the rock shattered and loose. Still unclimbed are 1) Haranbit (19,675 feet), 2) P 19,072, inaccurately shown on the Survey of India map, 3) P 18,454 at the head of the Manali Glacier, 4) twin peaks both well over 18,000 feet on the frontier ridge south of No. 3. The first two would probably be best approached up the Thalo Glacier. The last two and possibly No. 3 might be gained from the glacier on the Swat side of the ridge. Neither Manali Go1 nor the Manali Glacier can be recommended as approaches, though No. 3 would almost certainly prove easiest from that direction. ROBERT COLLISTER, Cambridge University Motintaineerilzg Club

Fakak Sar. Wolfgang Stefan, J. Griffiths and two Germans climbed Falak Sar, a third ascent, and the lower of the Batin Peaks (c. 18,700 feet). A note by Dr. Adolf Diembwger. Much of this information is as yet unconfirmed. A detailed account will be published in the summer of 1969 in the dsteneichische Alpenzeitmg.

Pakistan or Afghan Frontier- Lisnkho Grozc?, Khamht Valley, . An expedition of the Vienna Section of the Austrian Alpine Club (i5AV) was led by Dr. Fritz Grimmlinger and composed of Gerhard Haberl, Christian von der Hecken, Fritz Hintermayer, Edi Koblmiiller, Gernot Kolmhofer and Gerd Pressl. They ‘combined to a great extent with a Yugoslav expedition consisting of Draslar, Kunauer, Satonov, Stane and Stupnik. On August 5 Austrians Grimmlinger, Haberl and Koblmiiller and Yugoslavs Stupnik and Draslar made the first ascent of Lunkho-i-Dosare (22,645 feet) both east and west peaks. On August 9 all Austrians and Yugoslavs made the second ascent of Kohe Myani (18,477 feet; peak 350 on the Wala map). Haberl and Koblmiiller climbed P 6450 (21,162 feet; Wala 321) on August 10. The second ascent of Lunkho-i-Hawar (22,621 feet) was made on August 13 by Austrians Grimmlinger, Pressl, Hecken and Hintermayer and Yugoslavs Sazonov and Stane and the third the next CLJMBS AND EXPEDlTlONS day by Haberl and Koblmiiller. Grimmlinger and Pressl climbed P 6390 (20,965 feet; Wala 354) on August 18. The first ascent of P 6430 (21,096 feet; Wala 353/2) was made on August 19 by Kolmhofer and Hintermayer and repeated on successive days by Grimmlinger and Press1 and Koblmiiller solo. (Is this peak now named “Meena?” The old Meena is now named Kohe Dusti on the Wala map.) The second ascent of Kohe Hevad (22,470 feet) was made by the Yugoslavs and repeated on August 20 by Grimmlinger and Press1 and on the 21st by Koblmiiller solo.

ADOLF DIEMBERGER, tisteweichischer Alpenkhb

Attempt on Lankho. P. V. Brian, D. B. Martin, R A. P. Mellor, R. A. North and I as leader climbed in the Ab-i-Ishmurkh valley in the eastern Hindu Kush (36” 45’ to 37” N, 71” 25’ to 71” 35’ E). We arrived in Kabul on July 12 hoping to visit the central Hindu Kush. To our delight, after a week of negotiation, the Afghan government allowed US to enter this legendary but politically restricted area of the eastern Hindu Kush. We were allowed to try Lunkho, the highest unclimbed peak in the range. However a Yugoslav and an Austrian party were to be in the adjacent valley. After a difficult three-day drive we arrived at the foot of our valley, where we employed 20 porters for two days to raise our equipment to the snout of the glacier, the Yakchal-i-Ishmurkh. We retained two men to help us establish Advance Base in early August at 14,850 feet on the eastern flank of the glacier near the Czech site of 1965 (A.A.J., 1966, 15: 1, pp. 206-7.) The head of the valley was dosed by the great wall of the main chain, behind which lay . It stretched in our view between P 6845 meters or Little Lunkho and Lunkho (22,645 feet), our peak. From Advance Base we crossed to the south and then, turning west, climbed an icefall to a high glacier tucked between the frontier ridge and the shapely north ridge of the . This ridge divided our valley from the neighbouring Ab-i-Khandut, where the Austrians and Yugoslavs had installed themselves. Camp I was established on this glacier at 15,700 feet. The north ridge was gained by a dangerous couloir above the camp. We followed the rocky crest to its lowest point, a small co1 at 17,550 feet. Above this lay several rounded crests before the ridge broadened to abut against the crest of the frontier ridge slightly west of the summit. Because of bad weather, it took five attempts at this route before our high point was gained. The retreat from the third try was made into the Ab-i-Khandut, where we met our Yugoslav friends, 462 THE AMERICAN ALPINE JOURNAL who informed us that the Austrians some days before had attained the summit. Yet, the line we were following was beautiful, and to climb it would be sufficient reward. Before the fourth retreat we had established a snow ‘cave above all the major technical difficulties, at 19,500 feet. September 2 saw North and me again in the cave. We left it at 2:45 on the 3rd. This was to be our final bid. We immediately encountered very bad snow conditions, which made progress slow, tedious and exhausting. However, some 12 hours later, we stepped onto the sharp crest of the frontier ridge and stood with one foot in Afghanistan and one in Pakistan. The route, at least, had been completed. By this time North’s numbed feet were giving cause for concern; we wished to return as soon as possible. Therefore we selected a high point on the ridge 100 to 200 feet lower and perhaps a quarter mile from the true summit climbed by the Austrians. The poor snow conditions did not hinder the descent and we were back at the cave in 11/z hours. We arrived at Base two days later after a painful descent for North, who had seriously been frostbitten in the left foot. He has since lost the toes of this foot. Attempts were made on Koh-i-Mina (c. 21,000 feet) and Koh-i-Qala Panja (20,760 feet). Mellor and Tancred climbed Andaval or P 5712 ( 18,740 feet), which is the middle of the three peaks that lie between Kohe-James and the north and Kohe-Tirma.

IAN G. ROWE, Corriemiclzie Motlntaineering Club (Scotland)

Shohgologh Zom, Ltinkho Group. Takao Nagamine, Tetsuo Shimada and I left Tokyo on July 21 and arrived in on the 24th, where we began the journey with 450 pounds of gear on four donkeys. We got to the last village, Phurgram, in the Rich Go1 on August 1. The next day we came to the point the porters called Moghalang, where streams from the Noroghik and Anosha glaciers pour into the Rich Gol. We chose the left-hand glacier, the Noroghik and on the 3rd set up Base Camp on the moraine at 12,000 feet. The Phurgram porters were afraid of walking on the ice and so we had to carry our gear up the first icefall to set up Camp I at 13,000 feet. On the 6th we found the safest place we could above the second icefall for Camp II at 14,100 feet. This com- manded a view of the upper part of the glacier and of many 6OOOers and 5000ers. The upper part of Lunkho was seen high and great. Aiming at the saddle between two peaks on the ridge running south from Lunkho, we crossed the wide snow plateau and set up Camp III at 15,400 feet. Availing ourselves of the small glacier falling from the saddle, we struggled CLlMBS AND EXPEDlTlONS 463 to place Camp IV at 17,700 feet on August 9. Too exhausted from the altitude to try another 1000 meters of ascent, we gave up P 6442. On August 11 Shimada and I (Nagamine could not even get to his feet that day) followed the ridge south from the saddle and finally got to the steep rock peak towering between the Noroghik and Shohgologh glaciers. It was about 6000 meters or 19,685 feet. We should like to call it Shohgologh Zom. (This is the peak which lies between peaks 336 and 334 on the Wala map.-Editor.) We got back to Base Camp on the 14th and Chitral on August 22.

TORU YOSHITOMI, Alp&e Chb of Tokyo University of Education

Peaks above Chhtltid~m Glacier. Michael H. Westmacott, his wife Sally, Dr. H. R. Thomlinson and I placed our Base Camp at the junction of the Kotgaz and Chhutidum glaciers on July 31. We had hoped to climb Lunkho West but from a reconnaissance camp at 15,000 feet on the upper Chhutidum we judged that the only feasible route was too dangerous. We then set two camps at 14,850 and 17,000 feet in the northern basin of the glacier and we all made the first ascent P 18,640 (307 on Wala map). At least two 19,000-foot peaks appeared easily accessible but bad weather and lack of time forced us to return. TREVOR H. BRAHAM, Himalayan Club

Qala Panja, Wakhan, A French expdition entered the Qala Panja valley, previously untouched by climbers. The glaciers descend to 10,000 feet from two glacial plateaus at 16,500 feet. The ice is particularly steep and broken for the first 1500 feet below the plateaus. The first Base Camp at 11,500 feet was later moved up to 13,000 feet. Camp I was 15,000 feet and Camp II at 16,500 on the edge of the plateau. The route between the last two was particularly difficult. Henri Agresti and his wife Isabelle spent 25 days at this high camp and Yves Dominoni, Lucien Agresti and Madame Renee Agresti were there for about ten. Henri and Isabelle Agresti made the following first ascents: Kohe Abs (18,373 feet) August 19; Kohe Rank (19,456 feet) August 20; P 5900 and P 5730 (19,357 and 18,799 feet) August 23; Kohe Sarkand (18,701 feet) August 24; Kohe Tirma (19,521 feet) September 4; and Kohe Setara (19,784 feet) September 6. Together with Dominoni these two made the second ascent of Kohe James (20,374 feet) by a new route from the northeast. ADOLF DIEMBERGER, dsterreichischer Alpenkhb 464 THE AMERICAN ALPINE JOURNAL

Kohe Lakhsb, Wakhan. An expedition from Southern France (Lyon and Nice) was led by Louis Dubost, who was accompanied by his wife, Bernard Denjoy and his wife, Paul Gendre and his wife, Mlle Suzanne Valentini, Mlle Bernard, Louis Gevril, Jacques Brugirard. Contrary to ’ their expectations, they got a permit for the Wakhan. They left Kabul on August 1 and got to Langar on the 3rd. Base Camp, at the foot of Kohe Lakhsh ( 19,984 feet on the Wala map), was established on August 5 at 13,950 feet on the glacier at the head of the Lakhsh valley. They placed a high camp in a co1 on the north ridge on the 7th. On August 8 Messieurs Bubost, Gendre and Bruginard made the first ascent of Kohe Lakhsh. The second ascent was made on the 10th by Mlle Valentini and Gevril. In both cases they had to bivouac on the descent. The climb was mixed snow and rock and very difficult. By reason of its difficulty the peak had been unclimbed, although it is the most important summit in the region (Keshnikhan valley on the west and Shakhwar valley on the east, both much climbed in and explored). ADOLF DIEMBERGER, &teweichischer Alpenkhb

Peg& Zom and Noghor Zom. The expedition of the Rottenmann Sec- tion of the Austrian Alpine Club (iiAV) was composed of Hans Gassner, leader, Sepp Peer and Fritz Iglar. They left Chitral on July 10 and Uzhnu on the 15th to get to Base Camp at 13,500 feet on the Kotgaz Glacier on July 16. With two high camps, the three climbed two peaks on the frontier with the Wakhan at the end of the Pegish valley: Pegish Zom II (20,233 feet) on June 25 by the steep south face and corniced west ridge and Pegish Zom I (20,568 feet) on July 26. From Base Camp they climbed peaks on the southern rim of the Kotgaz Glacier: Noghor Zom I ( 19,508 feet) on August 1 by all three via the east face and north ridge with two high camps; Noghor Zom II (18,375 feet) on August 2 by Peer and Iglar (both first ascents) ; and Chikar Zom ( 17,340 feet) also on August 2 by Peer and Iglar (second ascent). ADOLF DIEMBERGER, ijstmeichischer Atpmkhb

Lmzgar Zom, Main Peak. The Gakuyukai Alpine Club of Waseda University climbed at the head of the Ushko Glacier. Tanenori Tachibana was the leader and members were Riki Suzuki and Katsushi Noguchi; Captain Nasib was the liaison officer. After leaving Chitral on July 7, they approached via Koghoz, Reshun and Shagram and pitched Base Camp at 13,125 feet on the Ushko Glacier. Camp I (14,100 feet) was established on August 2, Camp II (14,750 feet) on August 5 and Camp CLZMBS AND EXPEDZTIONS 465

III (16,750 feet) on August 10. On the 12th they climbed the nameless 5600-meter (18,373-foot) peak northeast of Langar Zom Main on the main ridge between Langar and Urgend. After bad weather, on August 16 they dug a snow cave east of the main peak of Languar Zom at 20,350 feet. They made the second ascent of Langur Zom’s main peak (23,019 feet) on August 18. ICHIRO YOSHIZAWA, Japanese Alpine Chb and A.A.C.

Srrraghrar, Central Peak. In the A.A.J., 1968, 16: 1, p. 223 was reported the ascent of Saraghrar North (23,097 feet) on July 27, 1967. It should also have been noted that the Japanese climbers, Kohichiro Umezu and Shiro Yokoyama continued on to make the second ascent of Saraghrar Central (24,112 feet), where they found the flag and the statue of St. Mary left by the Italians in 1959. Attempt on Tirich Mir from Southwest. Tatsuyuki Okamoto, leader, Masataka Suzuki and Hirobumi Wada left Chitral on June 28 and made Base Camp at 14,100 feet on the moraine of the Dir Go1 on July 2. Thinking the danger at the beginning of the buttress which seemed to offer the only route to Tirich Mir from Dir Go1 too great, they gave up the attempt and returned to Base. On July 16 Suzuki and Wada climbed P 5579 (18,304 feet), which lies five miles west of Tirich Mir. After a reconnaissance of Goshanel Gol, which lies south of the Dir Go1 Glacier and east of the towns of Arkari and Dir, the expedition moved its activities to Afghanistan. (See that section.) ICHIRO YOSHIZAWA, Japanese Atpine Chb and A.A.C.

Zstor-o-Nat. The Japan Women’s West Asian Expedition climbed in Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. The ladies were Kyoko Sato, leader, Setsuko Watanabe, Hisae Izumi and Hiroko Ashiya. After climbing various peaks, including Ararat and Demavend, they left Chitral on June 29 and got to Base Camp on the Tirich Glacier at 14,600 feet on July 6. Camp I (17,400 feet) was pitched on July 10, Camp II (20,350 feet) on July 22 and Camp III (21,325 feet) on the main ridge on July 26. They bivouacked at 23,625 feet under the white peak on the 28th. They reached the summit (24,275 feet) on the 29th at seven P.M. The north peak was separated from them by a deep gap. They bivouacked again 150 feet below the summit and reached Camp III the next night. The route taken was mostly the same as that of the Americans Murphy and Mutch in 1955. (See A.A.J., 1956, lO:l, pp. 66-74.) ICHIRO YOSHIZAWA, Japanese Attine Chb and A.A.C. 466 THE AMERICAN ALPINE JOURNAL

SOZ& Atrak Zom, Istor-o-Nal Group. The expedition of the Sapporo Medical University was led by Masaji Matsuura and composed of Toshio Murata, Akira Nishio and Tetsuhiko Nakamura. From Base Camp at 14,100 feet at the tongue of the South Atrak Glacier, camps were placed at 15,750 and 18,375 feet. On August 22 South Atrak Zom (20,476 feet) was climbed by Matsuura, Nishio and Nakamura via the 19,700-foot co1 between this peak and Istor-o-Nal East. The next day Murata, who had been staying at Camp II, was descending with the other members when he lost his balance and fell into a crevasse, seriously injuring his head. He was carried all the way to Barenis, not without difficulties, and there he breathed his last in spite of all the devotion of the members. ICHIRO YOSHIZAWA, Japanese Alpine Clicb avd A.A.C.

Afghanistan Attentpt on Koh-e-lblar, near Koh-e-Bandaka. The Rissho University party consisted of Kyoichi Mochixuki, leader, Hideo Suzuki, Hiroshi Morita, Kikuo Goto, Toshio Mochizuki, Meiji Terada and Masaoki Ogawa. After leaving Kabul on July 10, they traveled up the Panjshir, over Anjuman Pass, through Anjuman to Keran. On July 19 they moved to the junction of the Iblar and Sakhi Darrahs and the next day placed Base Camp at 12,500 feet near Lake Iblar. Camp I was at 13,125 feet at the far end of the lake, which proved difficut to Pass on its western shore. Camp II was pitched on July 25 to 15,100 feet. Suzuki and Goto left on July 26 in a summit attempt on P 5638 or Koh-e-Iblar (18,498 feet), which failed well below the summit. After evacuating their camps they heard of the accident to the Aichi University party, waited for them at the river junction and traveled back to Kabul with them. ICHIRO YOSHIZAWA, Japanese Alpine Cltib and A.A.C.

Koh-e-Bartdaka. The Aichigakuin University Expedition climbed Koh-e- Bandaka (22,451 feet). Masami Namikawa was leader, Takuro Sakai headed scientific research and Michio Yuasa was climbing leader. Others were Hajime Hanamura, Yoshitaka Kuromiya, Norikazu Ono, Shuji Asai, Kazuyuki Ito, Masando Ito and Kenji Ito. They arrived on July 18 at Keran, having taken the northern route from Kabul to avoid troubles, including floods. Because they were already some twenty days late, they gave up their original objective, the east face, for the normal west or southwest route. Base Camp was at 14,450 feet and Advance Base at 17,000 feet. Yuasa and Kazuyuki Ito went up the rock wall and reached the southwest ridge, the normal route. Camp I at 18,700 feet was made